This invention relates to the art of dispensing cylindrical articles and particularly relates to a device and process for positioning cylindrical ferrules at predetermined locations on a relatively flat surface for subsequent securing of the ferrules to said surface.
This invention has specific applicability to the stud welding art where ceramic ferrules are positioned in predetermined locations on steel beams, etc. and studs are placed in the ferrules, welded to the beam, and the ferrules are broken away. The ferrules have a bell like skirt and an upper throat which positions the stud. The skirt acts as a dam to hold weld material around the base of the stud.
Presently, these ferrules are shipped loosely in bulk and fabricators place them one-by-one by hand at their predetermined locations on the job. This results in breakage of the ferrules and is an insufficient and expensive method of application.
The ferrules preferably are loaded in a paperboard or synthetic polymer tube or cartridge which is used to insert the ferrules into the main bore of the dispenser so that the cartridge is removed before the ferrules are released one-by-one from the operating end of the dispenser.
I have devised a system for packaging the ferrules and shipping them to the job site in prepackaged condition ready for immediate loading in packaged form into the dispenser of this invention.
The patents known to me which relate to article dispensing devices include Sheetz U.S. Pat. No. 2,220,354 which shows a nut dispenser and driver useful for attaching a motor car wheel to the axle drum. Powell Jr., et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,901,146 describes a golf tee dispenseer in which nested tees are held in place by resilient retaining means. Nigro U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,238 discloses a chip dispenser in which pressure on a stack of chips opens spring retainers and permits one chip to be dispensed. Marecek et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,243 discloses an article dispensing device which uses a pair of balls and a hollow to release articles from a stack. Pawloski U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,125 dispenses cups from a stack of nested cups from a collapsible sleeve when the user grasps the cup.
None of the foregoing noted patents discloses a structure which has all of the advantages of the present device.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved process for applying ferrules to base material to facilitate the attachment of shear connectors thereto by stud welding. It is another important object of this invention to provide an improved device for dispensing hollow cylindrical objects using a cylindrical magazine for shipping and loading the objects onto the dispensing device.
It is a further object to provide mechanical, electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic articulated dispensers which will deposit a generally cylincrical ferrule in predetermined locations on a surface in response to a command from the operator of the dispenser.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a dispenser for generally cylindrical hollow objects in which the objects are loaded into a disposable magazine tube prior to being inserted into the dispenser.
It is still another object to provide an improved method of shipping and storing breakable ferrules used in the stud welding industry and to reduce the labor costs of positioning the ferrules onto a work surface using a unique applicator and loading cartridge for said applicator.
These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.
The present invention comprises a dispenser for hollow cylindrical objects which are loaded onto the dispenser from a disposable magazine and including means for restraining the objects in the dispenser and for depositing the objects one-by-one from the working end of the dispenser in response to manual or switch operated actions of the operator.